Cymbal sound quality is effected by instrument size (diameter and thickness), shape, weight, construction and material composition. For example, increasing the diameter of a cymbal generally increases the volume and broadens the frequency of sound produced thereby. For example, a cymbal demonstrating a larger diameter (than another otherwise identical cymbal demonstrating the same thickness, weight, construction and material composition), will demonstrate a slower decay rate. Conversely, a cymbal demonstrating a smaller diameter will generally demonstrate a relatively faster rate of sound decay. Forming circumferential edges with irregular patterns such as, for example, wave-like configurations, can be an effective means of producing a cutting sound while shortening the sound duration of a cymbal—thus producing a crisper sound—.
The weight of a cymbal can also be adjusted to effect sound. In general, increasing weight increases sound volume potential. Decreasing weight has the opposite effect. Likewise, changes in cymbal material composition effect sound production. Most cymbals are comprised of bronze (a copper/tin alloy). Changes in the ratio of copper to tin may be an effective means of altering cymbal sound characteristics. For example, increasing tin content softens the overall alloy and yields a very musical cymbal capable of wide sound spectrum production. As tin content decreases, sound production begins to favor higher frequencies for a lighter, livelier sound. Other metals such as, for example, zinc, aluminum, silver and manganese may also be utilized in cymbal production in order to alter sound.
In addition to cymbal size, shape, weight, construction and material composition, the perception of cymbal sound quality is greatly effected by the environment in which the cymbal is utilized for performance. A given cymbal which produces very acceptable sound within a small recording studio will sound quite different in a large concert hall. Similarly, each concert hall—having its own acoustic characteristics—will likewise change the apparent sound quality and volume of a particular cymbal.
Various sound absorption and sound barrier materials have been utilized in order to adjust and tune the acoustic qualities of a given room or otherwise enclosed space. Sound absorbing material are comprised, for example, of various foam materials such as polyurethane, polyester and polyether foams. In addition, both felt materials comprised of natural fiber and felt comprised of polyurethane, polyester and polyether polymers has also proved quite effective as a sound absorption material. In addition, surfacing both the aforementioned foam and felt sound absorbing materials with a surface treatment or additional surface layers such as, for example, a metal foil, metalized Mylar, perforated vinyl, polyvinylflouride can be utilized to reduce high frequence noise absorption while maintaining and, in some cases, increasing lower frequency absorption. Vibration damping technology, on the other hand, is not usually applied to change the acoustic characteristics of a room or space, but is rather utilized to reduce the resonant vibrations of a source of noise. Vibration damping materials may be simply sheet materials made of any suitable viscoelastic material. Such material, affixed to a resonant sound source, store resonant vibrations (strain) via material deformation and then dissipate the stored energy via, for example, hysterisis or through simple expansion and compression. Constrained layer damping materials place a like visco-elastic material located between and bonded to two relatively hard constraining layers. Such material layers are often glued together but most effectively utilize glues that demonstrate a high shear stiffness.
In the past, percussion musicians, relegated to performing in a given environment with set acoustic properties, have attempted to adjust cymbal sound in accordance with such an environment. For a given performance environment, musicians might choose to experiment with various cymbal types (as discussed above). However, even after selecting the “best” cymbal for a given performance and auditorium, musicians still required fine tuning of the instrument. To accomplish such fine tuning, musicians might, for example, utilize small pieces of adhesive tape, placed at various positions on the cymbal, in order to adust cymbal volume, frequency and sound duration. Adhesive tape was somewhat effective in providing limited damping of cymbal vibration—and thus altering sound production—. However, such tape did not, in itself, demonstrate significant sound absorbency, provide accurate fine tuning or produce easily repeatable results. More specifically, musicians utilizing tape tuning would simply “experiment” with various cymbal locations until they found an optimal position. In addition, after much experimentation in tape or other material placement, no reliable and consistent means was available for re-locating the tape, at a future date, in a like position for optimum sound production at a selected auditorium. It would be most desirable if an effective means of tuning the sound production of a cymbal were provided wherein such means provided both sound absorption as well as vibration damping. It would be further desirable if a method were to be disclosed which allowed for accurate placement and recording of placement of a cymbal tuning means so as to enable consistent and repeatable optimized cymbal tuning for a given performance environment.